


Dismantle. Repair.

by liziscribbles



Series: Make Them Gold [3]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: 500 years post apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Horizon: Zero Dawn Fusion, Forbidden Friendship, Jumping POV, Loqi Is An Ass, M/M, Minor Character Death, Mutually Unrequited Pining, combat scenes, lots of sadness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 05:16:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16612622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liziscribbles/pseuds/liziscribbles
Summary: Meet once a week, explore Ancient Ones ruins, hang out overnight, separate.  Lather, rinse, repeat.It's business as usual for Noctis and Prompto... until it isn't.{ Part 3 of my Horizon: Zero Dawn AU }





	1. Chapter 1

Another nice weekend, camping at the cliffside. Ever since Prompto had taken him there when they were sixteen, it had been their favorite place to take their nights away. In fact, aside from the occasional foray into ruins in different areas of Cavaugh, they were there every week. They'd set up a small cabin there, one with enough room for a cooking pit and their bedrolls, and a large window on one side so they could still watch the chocobos in the rain. Even beyond that, they made several hunting stands and customized their own personal fishing spot for comfort.

Even at twenty-years-old, saying goodbye to Prompto was _still_ the hardest thing Noctis had to do. Sometimes, it felt like the longer they spent together, the harder it got, too. Noctis had managed to get a whole weekend away, and leaving felt more like tearing himself away from home than it had ever felt before.

The only problem was, the weekend went by too fast. It was perfect, aside from the feeling, every now and then, that someone was watching them. The feeling started in Insomnia, oddly enough. He'd passed it off as having to shake Loqi's tail, like he usually did, but by the time he was out of Insomnia, he'd managed to shake it as usual. Except, every now and then it came back again, forcing him to cast his eyes around and be sure he _wasn't_ being followed. He never saw anyone, so he assumed he was safe, and by the time he got to Prompto's house, it was the farthest thing from his mind.

Everything always seemed to fade away when he was with Prompto. Everything was perfect, everything was fun... until the time came to pack their camp up. Prompto seemed sadder to say goodbye than he usually was, too. They hesitated twice as many times as they usually did, and more than once, Noctis _actually_ almost turned around and came back. He hadn't, though, and now he was stuck thinking of something Prompto had said as he walked home.

_"Maybe you can find an excuse to spend a whole week away next time..."_ Prompto had suggested as they cooked their fish over an open flame last night.

An appealing idea, to say the least. A whole week. Noctis' dad would probably be suspicious, just like he always was every time Noctis left to meet Prompto, but if Noctis came up with a good enough reason to... a hunting trip? Or maybe that he just wanted to spend the whole week fishing. That was something his dad would believe easily. Except, there was always the chance that his dad would want to come with him. His dad loved fishing as much as he did, and Noctis wouldn't be able to say no if his dad _really_ wanted to come.

The conflict there was the hardest part of the whole situation. Whatever happened, Noctis was disappointing someone he cared about more than his own life. Noctis loved his dad, he truly did, as much as he loved Prompto but in an entirely different way. If he didn't manage to take the week away, he was disappointing Prompto. If he did, he was betraying his dad...

Noctis sighed as he passed the tree that never bloomed. Its branches stretched up as high as ever. Two days ago, Noctis had been regarding the tree as a signal of a good time about to start. Now, though? Now it felt sad. Noctis stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets, navigating against all the Ancient Ones jewelry they'd found this weekend and trying to find a sufficient enough pout. He had to get it all out of his system, so he could act normal when he got home. Even _that_ felt all the more difficult now than it ever had before, though. Putting on the air of normalcy felt like an impossible task.

He wouldn't stop, though. He couldn't stop. Prompto had become such a crucial part of his life that putting a stop to this whole thing felt like ripping out a vital organ or stabbing himself in the chest. Sometimes, it felt like the only way he would really be happy was to do what he'd thought about doing all these years and run away. Just, pack all his bags one night and be gone by morning.

What was making the whole situation worse, was knowing he'd be going back to Insomnia and Loqi would still be visiting. Loqi and Iedolas had been visiting a lot more over the past few years than they ever used to. Ignis seemed to be under the impression that Iedolas was aiming for some kind of political business, but Noctis knew his dad would never fully go for anything Iedolas put forward. The two of them just different too much. Noctis' dad genuinely valued human life a whole lot more than Iedolas. Iedolas would sooner burn down all of Eos, rather than try and come to any peaceable solution for anything.

In the back of Noctis' mind, he suspected the situation would eventually come to a head somehow. How, he didn't know, but he doubted it would be pretty.

Heaving another sigh, he glanced up the path leading to the gates of Insomnia. He stopped where he stood, having the same internal struggle he always had at this point. What was _really_ stopping him from just turning around and going back? Sure, all he had was the stuff in his pack, but if Prompto and Cor could make a situation like that work, then there was no reason Noctis couldn't... right?

Still, it would break his dad's heart if he left without some kind of goodbye. Noctis clamped down on his lower lip and scratched a hand through his hair. Maybe he could just go back for another night instead. Cor would probably be mad, and Noctis' dad would probably be mad if he came back a day later than expected but... what was the worst that could happen? One more day. Just one more day of hanging out would make the rest of this week so much easier! His dad would have to understand, right? The mere thought had Noctis' smile coming back to his face as he turned on his heel to try and sprint back to Prompto's place.

"Going somewhere, Caelum?"

An all-too-familiar voice caught Noctis' attention from behind, and he whirled back around so fast it almost made him dizzy, only to come face-to-face with none other than Loqi. Loqi sat high in the tree that never bloomed, casually dangling one leg from his branch. He took a massive bite from some kind of meat and tossed the bone down to the ground. "I mean jeez. I rushed to get here when you and that outcast started saying goodbye and I _still_ had enough time to climb up here and eat my whole lunch."

Damn it. At first, Noctis wanted to put his heart into hoping Loqi had only seen him for a few seconds, but he'd just made it perfectly clear that he'd seen Noctis talking to Prompto. What could he do from here? He could deny it, but if Loqi had seen it, where was the sense in that? Raking his teeth over his lower lip, Noctis decided to simply ignore him in favor of continuing to go home. If it came down to it, Noctis could always say that they'd just passed one another in their travels. Noctis' dad would always believe Noctis over Loqi, and that was the most important thing, wasn't it?

"Where d'you think you're going?" Loqi called out, and Noctis heard a thud on the ground, suggesting Loqi had jumped down from the tree. "You'd think you'd be more interested in talking, maybe even _bargaining_ , with the guy who has pretty damn incriminating evidence on you."

Noctis rolled his eyes and turned to look at Loqi. "You don't know anything," he mumbled.

With a laugh, Loqi bounded up to Noctis and grinned. "That's where you'd be wrong, Caelum," he exclaimed with glee. "Pretty nice campsite you got set up there. That cliffside's a spot where no one could possibly find you, unless they followed you through Scientia's house and out of town, to that shabby little house up the hill, and all the way to your little love nest on the cliff."

Noctis' heart sank to the pit of his stomach. No. That wasn't possible. Sure, he'd had a vague feeling of someone following him all weekend, but there was no way, no _possible_ way, Loqi could have possibly followed him all the way from Insomnia to the campsite. Did that mean... did that mean he knew where Prompto's house was? So many different possibilities rushed through Noctis' mind all at once, and suddenly he found himself worried that he'd put Prompto's whole existence into danger. He swallowed thickly, meeting Loqi's eye and trying not to show exactly how nervous he was.

"Shut up," Noctis said simply.

Loqi just chuckled. "For almost twelve years, I've watched you go into Scientia or Amicitia's house and not come out until the next day. Always seemed kinda weird, but I could never really pin down why. This time, it hit me. You're fast. You can get out through the back of their houses and be off into the woods before I even knew where you were going," he mused, folding his arms and shrugging a shoulder. "So, I waited around back and hid out of sight. Uncle Iedolas wanted me to figure out where the hell you go when you disappear overnight. He thought you were trying to hide a secret family out here. Like a wife and kid or something, but I had a feeling it was that outcast kid. I can't wait to tell him I was right!"

Noctis narrowed his eyes. "You can't."

Laughing so loud people could probably hear it all the way back in Insomnia, Loqi simply shook his head. "Oh, I can. And I will. Not only will I tell your dad, but I'll tell Uncle Iedolas, too. And Uncle Iedolas will make sure to tell _everyone_ else in town. _Really_ put your dad in that corner where he either _has_ to punish you properly or look like a hypocrite." The grin on his face grew even wider. "But they won't cast you out, Caelum. The rest of the village will probably order you to either be thrown in jail for the rest of your life or killed. Imagine how your dad's gonna feel then!"

Desperation was most likely radiating from Noctis like waves. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach, and he could feel his heart racing a little bit faster. "Loqi, please. I'll do whatever you want! Just don't-"

Loqi approached Noctis casually, shaking his head and shrugging. "Y'know, it's funny. I can't really think of anything I want from you. Once I spread this news, the whole village is gonna know I was right all those years ago. They'll apologize to me, and they'll treat you like _you're_ an outcast, too. That'll be pretty sweet," he mused, like it was just a normal conversation.

This couldn't be happening. All this time, he'd been so careful, but... one little mistake, one stone he didn't properly check under, and everything was tossed out the window. Noctis stepped back away from Loqi as he approached, completely intending to just run off and start his 'run away and live how he wanted' plan a little bit early, but there was something in Loqi's expression that kept him from running off right away.

After rolling his eyes dramatically, Loqi tilted his head and sighed. "C'mon, Caelum. This can go one of two ways. Either you come back to town with me, right? And we tell everyone about this... or you run away and I go back and tell them the outcasts kidnapped you. Imagine what they'd do to your precious outcast friend. _Way_ worse than they'd do to you. They'd prob'ly kill him on the spot. Make you watch, even," he pointed out, grinning like a madman. "Much as I'd like to _see_ that, don't you think it's a little less selfish if you just come back with me and take the bullet yourself?"

Noctis wasn't sure which part he hated more: the idea in general, or the fact that Loqi was completely right. With a final glance over his shoulder, and an apology to Prompto, Noctis' posture completely slumped and he followed Loqi back toward Insomnia's gates.

If Noctis had any idea this last visit had been the last time he'd ever see Prompto, there were so many things he would have done differently. He would've told Prompto so many things that had to stay unsaid forever now. He would have thanked Prompto for always being his escape, being the one person he could be himself around, in the one place he could be himself. He would have apologized for never being brave enough to just stand up and tell the world they were friends. He would have thanked Cor, even if Cor would never have replied, for always making sure Noctis had food when he stayed the afternoon at the house.

Maybe, just maybe, he would have made one more last-ditch plea for Cor to talk to him. Sadness lined Noctis' eyes as he cast his eyes around the world outside the Insomnia walls. It was funny, in a way. Everything had some kind of memory attached to it.

There was the branching trail, the easiest way for Noctis to get to the ruins where they'd found Prompto's focus. The trail that led to the overlook, which was where he'd taken Prompto in order to satisfy his friend's curiosity about what it looked like inside Insomnia. Even something as simple as a tree several yards off the main trail, where they'd hidden in plain sight and watched as a group of Insomnian hunters took down a group of wolves. The moment had been tense, but when it passed it was just another story they'd retell at night when neither of them could sleep.

As much as Noctis felt like he wanted to cry, he refused to cry in front of Loqi. He outright _refused_ to give Loqi the satisfaction.

They passed through the Insomnia gates, and immediately, the restricted feeling came back to Noctis like it had never been gone to begin with. It was worse this time. He could almost feel physical chains as they sprouted up from the ground and rooted him in place. Now, unless he could plead his case to his dad, he would never get to break them. A sidelong glance showed a cruel grin on Loqi's face as he waved at a few of the onlookers.

From the corner of his eye, Noctis spotted Ignis, who looked mildly suspicious of the situation. Ignis knew how much Noctis hated Loqi, and was probably instantly aware that Noctis would never willingly walk with Loqi _anywhere_ , especially through the streets of Insomnia. Noctis tried to communicate his desperation with a glance, and when their gazes met, Ignis' eyebrows raised. He'd caught on, but truthfully, Noctis wondered what good it would do. Noctis' dad led the village, and Loqi seemed completely and totally intent on getting his way here.

Noctis watched, a little confused and a lot concerned, when Ignis rushed across the street to Gladio and Iris' house. What was he doing? His curiosity was completely derailed when, to his left, Loqi laughed and murmured, "this is gonna be so sweet."

Throughout the remainder of the walk home, Noctis tried to shrink away under the quiet stares of other villagers. They seemed curious, and Noctis was curious as to why Loqi wasn't just exploding and letting the whole world know exactly what was going on. He seemed to want to, but somehow, he was holding it in as he nodded toward Noctis' door. "Let's go. I'll decide on the way in, if I want to tell your dad or if I want _you_ to."

Truthfully, Noctis wasn't sure which one would be worse. If Loqi did it, he'd be blunt and Noctis could smooth the edges out. If Noctis did it, he could be gentle about it, but there was always a chance that some of the people Iedolas inevitably told would fill in all the blanks with their own stories, thanks to Loqi's colorful storytelling. Noctis frowned, and _still_ considered running off and warning Prompto and Cor, so they could all run away together.

When Noctis didn't move right away, Loqi practically pushed him through the door, and Noctis' dad looked up from his paperwork on the table and arched his eyebrow. "Son, you're home." He paused, examining Noctis' expression and standing from his chair. "Is everything okay?"

Before Noctis could even speak, Loqi cleared his throat and didn't even bother to hold back the grin on his face. "Your son has been spending the past weekend consorting with outcasts, Sir. My Uncle asked me to follow him, out of concern. He knows how worried you are about where he disappears when he goes away on these overnight trips, and since you could never really ask for someone to follow him, he-"

"That's quite enough, Loqi."

Regis was mad. Neither his voice, nor his face, left any of that to the imagination. The anger was being directed at Loqi for the moment, but once Loqi left and inevitably went to tell Iedolas everything, that disapproval would have nowhere to go but to Noctis. Truthfully, there was nothing to be scared of, beyond not being allowed to leave Insomnia again... but to Noctis, that was a fate _worse_ than death. Noctis listened quietly as Regis ordered Loqi to leave, as he needed a private word with his son. Then, Loqi turned to leave, still not bothering to hide his satisfaction with the situation.

"He's gonna tell Iedolas..." Noctis murmured, once Loqi was gone.

Regis sighed. "I know, Noctis," he admitted, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sat back down in his chair.

With his eyes cast down to the floor, in a barely-audible voice, Noctis said, "and Iedolas is gonna tell everyone..."

All Regis did was nod.

"Aren't you gonna yell at me?"

Regis shook his head.

"But I disobeyed you! I've been disobeying you, _and_ disobeying the Insomnian rules for _twelve years_ , dad! You're... you're mad. I know you're mad! You have to be mad, right?"

Silence. Regis still didn't answer, but he did stand from the table once more, cross the floor, and wrap his arms around Noctis' shoulders. "I want to be mad, Noctis, but truly, I can't blame you. I've known about this for years. More than a decade, I've known that you leave the village once a week to go 'consort with an outcast,' as Loqi so eloquently put it, but I've still let it happen. I could've put an end to it years ago if I truly wanted to, you know that Noctis," he murmured into Noctis' hair.

Noctis was confused. He knew his dad was right, of course. The more Noctis thought about it, if his dad had ever really _wanted_ to stop Noctis from seeing Prompto, all he would have had to do was truly punish Noctis. But he never had. "Why didn't you, then?" Noctis asked, finally lifting his arms to hug Regis back.

"Because you're happy out there." Regis loosened his grip and placed his hands on Noctis' shoulders. "You don't think I've noticed how happy you get each week when you're getting ready to leave? And how mopey you are when you come back?"

Though Noctis tried, he was unable to keep his expression from dropping just slightly. "So... you noticed that," he laughed half-heartedly.

Regis pushed some of Noctis' hair from his face. "Of course I did. And I was endlessly impressed with the way you always managed to keep Loqi just on the edge of knowing. You should have seen him some of those days you were gone, Noctis... pacing around the Amicitia and Scientia houses like a desperate dog, waiting for you to come out," he told Noctis with a genuine laugh.

"Really?" Noctis asked, wide-eyed.

Regis nodded.

Just as quickly as Noctis' spirit rose, it fell again. "But now he knows."

In lieu of a verbal answer, Regis just hummed and nodded.

Noctis frowned and turned to look away, glancing at the floorboards. "So... what do we do from here? What does it mean?" he asked, turning his head and glancing back at Regis.

There was an expression Noctis had never seen on his dad's face before. Noctis had seen his dad in a lot of situations. He'd seen his dad angry at someone, and this wasn't it. He'd also seen sadness, and maybe there was a bit of that in there, but it was mixed in with something else that Noctis couldn't quite identify. He looked directly into Noctis' eyes, and calmly asked:

"What do you want it to mean, son?"


	2. Chapter 2

_"What do you want it to mean, son?"_

The question was posed simply, like the answer should've been obvious to him. Noctis had been staring blankly at his dad for the past ten seconds, trying to process the question. What did he mean, 'what did Noctis want it to mean?' Well, Noctis wanted not to have to hide his friendship from Prompto. Noctis wanted it all to just go away, so that things could just keep going the way they were—no. No, not even the way they _were_. Noctis _wanted_ Prompto and Cor to be able to come to Insomnia; not to have to live like outcasts anymore. Or maybe even...

"You have to do something, don't you?" Noctis asked, looking his dad square in the eye and knowing he most likely wouldn't like what Noctis was going to suggest.

With a nod, Regis let his hands rest on Noctis' arms. "Of course, I do. If I do nothing, then we both know I'll never hear the end of it from either Iedolas and Loqi, or the majority of the Insomnian citizenship," he explained, a bitter tone in his voice like he didn't approve of the fact at all.

There were a few options. "Well," Noctis started, swallowing nervously. "Y-you could sentence me to execution..." As nervous as Noctis was about the whole situation, he had a feeling Regis wouldn't even entertain that idea.

Regis' expression when Noctis mentioned the idea only confirmed that fact. He didn't even need words. All he needed was that little furrow in his brows and the slight curl of his upper lip. That was a 'no chance' if Noctis had ever heard one in his life.

Noctis continued. "Or, you could put me in jail. That seems like the most... y'know... fair way to do it." The third option, and the option Noctis really _wished_ would happen, stayed unsaid on the tip of his tongue. He was so sure, _so positive_ , that there was no way his dad would ever _willingly_ let him live as an outcast. He'd spent the past twelve years wishing for it, and had convinced himself that it was completely impossible.

"Noctis. I didn't ask you what the law dictated it to mean. I know that well enough already," Regis sighed as he placed a hand on Noctis' cheek. He placed his other hand on the strap of Noctis' pack and straightened it, like he was trying to make a point to Noctis without saying it aloud. "I asked what you wanted it to mean. I believe we both know full well what that is."

That was when it finally hit Noctis. His dad wasn't going to punish him. Well, he was... in the _legal_ sense of the word, he was going to give Noctis one of the three punishments he was legally mandated to give people who broke Insomnian laws. It wasn't, however, the one most of the citizenship wanted for consorting with outcasts. There was no chance Noctis would get away without repercussions. If the townspeople made the decision themselves, they'd probably have seen Noctis thrown in jail for the rest of his natural life. Noctis' friends and Regis' friends would all support the concept of just letting Noctis off, but most everyone else would want him punished to the fullest extent of the law when word got out.

Noctis' dad, though... if Noctis was reading the situation right, his dad was actually going to... "Dad. Are you going to... are you trying to say that you're going to... am I..."

With a sad smile and eyes lined with tears, Regis smoothed Noctis' hair from his face. "My son, I know how unhappy you are within these walls. You're so unhappy, you always seem determined to sneak out every week. What kind of father would I be if I didn't do everything within my power to make you happy?" he asked.

"You mean, I can... I have to..."

Laughing a gentle note, Regis nodded once. "Only you would look at being cast out as an allowance instead of a punishment, my son." Despite the words, there was a fondness and approval in his voice which Noctis would have never expected. "I believe half an hour is enough time to gather everything you'll need from your room, yes? All those artifacts you and your outcast friend pulled from ruins, and anything else you need-"

Noctis blinked twice. The artifacts... "You knew about that stuff?" he asked, momentarily distracted by the fact that his dad was actually letting him—no, _making_ him; he had to keep up that pretense if he wanted to keep the peace—leave Insomnia for good. He'd always thought he was careful enough to keep his artifacts and various spoils under wraps. Then again, was it really a surprise that his dad had figured him out?

Chuckling fondly, Regis led Noctis toward his room. "A father always knows, my son," he insisted.

"Wow..." Noctis murmured.

Regis considered the situation quietly for a few moments, then met Noctis' eye again. "You'll be happy as an outcast, I know you will. Perhaps, if you've managed to meet with your friend Prompto-"

"-wait, dad... how'd you know his name? I never told-"

Silencing Noctis with a glance, Regis continued, "if you've managed to meet with Prompto covertly for years, this doesn't have to be goodbye, no?" His voice was soft, like he wasn't sure if he really believed his words. "There's a place I could go to meet you, right? Somewhere no one knows?"

Before today, Noctis could have answered with a hundred percent certainty. Now, though, Loqi knew about the only place Noctis thought he was safe from prying eyes. That didn't matter. He'd find another one. Prompto would help him. "I'll find another one," he told his dad, a sob choking his voice so it only came out as a strangled crackle.

"I'm sure Cor will help you," Regis assured him.

Another hundred thousand questions sprang to Noctis' mind, hearing both Cor's and Prompto's names from his dad's lips. The questions were instantly silenced by a gentle hand on his shoulder, leading him toward his room to gather his things. Though Noctis was dumbfounded, he followed his dad's lead into his room and gathered a second pack, starting to fill it with all the things he couldn't bear to leave behind. Notebooks and journals filled with things he'd found with Prompto and where he'd found them. His collection of skinning knives, a gift from his dad for his birthday years ago. The kit he used to keep his sword in top shape.

Silence coated the room in a heavy blanket the whole time. Even though Noctis knew he most likely would never be allowed to see his dad again after today, he couldn't seem to find the words. He couldn't even find the words to ask his dad about Cor.

"Until you find a new place," Regis mumbled sadly, "I will come to Cor and Prompto's house."

Fortunately, the statement managed to drag a question from Noctis' throat. "You know Cor... and Prompto?" he asked.

Laughing softly, Regis nodded. "It isn't my place to tell you why or how, but perhaps Cor can tell you. I'm certain he'll finally speak to you now."

Right. Once he told Cor and Prompto about this, maybe Cor would be more willing to talk to him. He wasn't sure how cool Cor would be with the idea of Noctis' dad coming to visit once a week as Noctis had, but... maybe if they had familiarity with each other, it wouldn't be so bad. Noctis glanced back toward his dad, and instantly frowned at his facial expression. There was wistful sadness in Regis' eyes as he picked up one of the artifacts Noctis found in a ruin years ago. "I must admit to a bit of disappointment, if only the two of us had been open with each other, there was so much information we could have shared."

Swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat, Noctis nodded. "Maybe we can now, though. If you come to visit me, I can tell you all the stuff I've found, and..." He trailed off when he realized what his dad was holding in his hands.

Noctis couldn't help but chuckle fondly at the artifact his dad had chosen from all the others in the room. It was an old walking cane, carved from some kind of stone. Noctis had taken it from a ruin he'd explored with Prompto years ago with the plan to give it to his dad as a birthday present that year. At the last moment, he'd backed out. Giving his dad the walking cane would have meant admitting to where he'd been going.

"I picked that up for you, y'know," Noctis told his dad. "I was gonna come clean one year. I think it was three years ago. I was gonna tell you everything, and tell you it was okay, 'cause I figured you'd either be really mad or be cool about it. Probably really mad. And then I was gonna give you that to replace your old wooden one."

Chuckling softly, Regis looked from Noctis to the cane, then back up to Noctis. "I suppose that proverbial cat is out of the bag now, hm?" he asked, placing the cane on the floor and measuring the strength. "I hope you don't mind if I still decide to keep it."

Noctis hummed and shook his head. "I was gonna suggest that anyway," he told his dad.

The sad smile on Regis' face only wilted further, getting a little closer to a frown. "I have to admit, even though this is the easiest way out of this mess, and I know you'll be happier outside of the walls than you ever were inside, I'm quite disappointed that it has to come to this. If only I could get the rest of the village to agree to the absurdity of the outcast law..." he mumbled. "It was an unjust law, set forth by an unjust ruler, who merely wanted to separate us from the rest of the world." It was probably even harder for Noctis' dad, given the fact that the 'unjust ruler' was _his_ father. "He succeeded, and now he made it rather difficult to bridge that divide."

"You can fix it, dad," Noctis told his father, adjusting the second pack on his opposite shoulder. It was a lot more weight than he was used to, and he almost toppled over backward.

Regis kept him standing with a hand on his shoulder. "I suppose I'll be a touch more motivated now," he admitted with a self-deprecating laugh. "Not that I suspect you'll want to come back to Insomnia either way. However, it would be nice not to have lynch mobs come after me, just because I had the desire to speak to my son."

Without hesitation, Noctis threw his arms around Regis' shoulders and buried his head in the crook of his shoulder. "I love you, dad."

"I love you too, Noctis," Regis answered.

As Noctis pulled back from the hug and looked his dad in the eye, he murmured a soft, "and thanks. Both for always being such a great dad and for... you know... not sending me to jail for the rest of my life. Or executing me," he laughed bitterly.

Part of Noctis wanted to prolong the goodbye. As much as he wanted to be on the outside, as much as he wanted to see the world with Prompto, it was still hard to just say goodbye to his dad like that. If it wasn't for the amazing dad he had, and for his friends—Noctis was sure his dad would make sure his friends knew the truth—he would have been completely alone inside the Insomnia walls. The only thing allowing him to face the situation with a smile was knowing his dad would visit. It wasn't goodbye. It didn't ever have to be goodbye. He hugged his dad again, a little tighter this time, and tried as hard as he could to pretend he wasn't crying.

"Be safe, my son. I will visit as soon as this all blows over."

Noctis didn't know how long it would take for the situation to blow over, or if it ever truly would, but he nodded all the same and decided it would be easier if he didn't prolong things anymore. Regis urged him out the back door and snuck him through a weak spot in the wall around Insomnia, and after a second tearful goodbye, Noctis was off on his own.

It was a little weird. For over a decade, this was exactly what he wanted. He was outside the Insomnia walls, he was an outcast like Prompto, and he really _was_ happy about it just like he expected to be... but there was a part of him that felt a little bit sad. He never got to say goodbye to Ignis, Gladio, or Iris. His dad was putting a lot on the line just so he could stay out of trouble and he'd never really get to say a proper 'thank you' because he'd been so rushed to get out of town. Even though he was getting exactly what he wanted, and he really _was_ grateful for it, part of him was feeling a little empty.

Sighing deep and heavy, Noctis took one more glance over his shoulder to look at Insomnia from atop a hill nearby. It looked small. Even from outside, it looked just as restricting as it ever had.

Now, he never had to go back. He never _could_ go back. That, he supposed, was the part that was getting to him. Going from being stuck on the inside and never being able to get out, to being stuck on the outside and never being able to get back in. There were things he'd left behind that he would never be able to get and people left behind that he'd never get to see, but it was okay. At least the people all had each other, and most of the things were meant for them, anyway. They were all things Noctis had gotten from ruins and from traders outside the Insomnian walls. A shield for Gladio, cooking utensils for Ignis, and a giant basket filled with medicinal herbs for Iris. Noctis trusted his dad to ensure they went to who they were supposed to.

Iris would be mad. Iris was always mad when things changed like this and she couldn't do anything to stop them. She wouldn't be mad at Noctis, of course. She was never really mad at Noctis, but more angry at the circumstances. Ignis would more than likely understand. He probably already had an inkling, since he saw Noctis walking by with Loqi. Most likely, he wouldn't approve of the situation and would try to work tirelessly to find a loophole. Then, there was Gladio. Gladio wouldn't be mad at Noctis for visiting with Prompto, but he _would_ be mad at Noctis for getting caught; for not covering his tracks properly.

Truthfully, Noctis understood. He was mad at himself for the very same reason.

As mad as he was at himself, though, he could feel the realization creeping up on him. He was actually free. He wasn't stuck behind those restrictive walls anymore, or forced to obey those restrictive rules. The only downside Noctis could see was that now he was on the other side of that rule. He was like Prompto. He was the one people would be afraid to talk to, for fear of being jailed or killed.

It was okay. He'd deal with it. For every person out there who wouldn't talk to him, Noctis had to believe there were a dozen more who would. Especially beyond their little region of Lucis. In other areas with other rulers, maybe there were different rules where outcasts _weren't_ treated like a disease. Maybe there were villages _without_ outcasts. Somewhere out there, maybe there was a village where Noctis and Prompto could walk in and, without breaking the rules, talk to every single person about whatever came to their minds.

Noctis smiled and adjusted his pack on his shoulder. This time, his dad wasn't there to catch him, so he had to stop himself from tumbling to the ground on his own. He dropped the pack to the ground, chuckled to himself, and shook his head. His first pack, still filled with the spoils from the trip he and Prompto took the day prior, he slid onto both his shoulders, then he leaned down to pick the second one up. It would be a long trip to Prompto's house if he had to spend it all balancing them both.

"Long, but worth it," he mumbled to himself.

When he straightened back up, casting one more glance over Insomnia, he breathed a heavy, slightly relieved sigh. Today was the first day of the rest of his life, and it was all thanks to his dad being the best dad to ever live.

Noctis turned around, but from the corner of his eye, something made him stop in place. As he turned, he caught sight of a small orange light, like a torch burning in the distance. It only caught his eye for a split second, but that was enough to gather his full attention after everything he'd been through that day. He squinted against the darkness on the horizon, trying to catch another glimpse of it, but much to his surprise, he couldn't see anything. Maybe it was a trick of the eye, he reasoned. There were lots of torches lining the Insomnia walls, so maybe he happened to catch one of those and it tricked his eyes a bit.

There was no reason to think Loqi had any idea what was going on here. Loqi was long gone by the time Noctis' dad suggested the outcast situation. As far as Loqi was concerned, Noctis was probably either in the prison cells or dead. Even as he'd escorted Noctis back from the trail, he hadn't even entertained the possibility that Regis would cast Noctis out. He seemed convinced of jail or a death sentence.

It had to be paranoia. Noctis nodded to himself as he adjusted his pack. Maybe he was just convinced it was too good to be true; that something bad had to happen to balance it out, because nothing this good ever happened to him.

Noctis shook his head abruptly, chasing those thoughts away and adjusting his bags again. As he started his walk toward Prompto's house, he allowed himself the slightest smile. Boy, would Prompto be surprised when he showed up again. Maybe, _just maybe_ , now that he was an outcast, Cor would actually talk to him. Could he allow himself to hope? As he headed down the trail, his step was a little faster than usual. Despite a little sadness at the thought of what he was leaving behind, he couldn't help but feel excited at what he was moving toward.


	3. Chapter 3

"So... so wait, I don't understand!" Prompto exclaimed, staring at Noctis with wide eyes.

As Noctis told Prompto everything—from Loqi following him to his dad actually knowing about their weekly ruin exploring adventures all along—they sat together, around of the cook fire, waiting for Cor to get back with some wild vegetables to put in his trout soup. Truth be told, Noctis was a little anxious about Cor's reaction to his return. For twelve years, Cor hadn't spoken even a word to Noctis, so who was to say it would change now, just because Noctis had been cast out too? Especially since he'd more or less cast himself out...

Noctis just shrugged. "Loqi followed me..." he started.

Prompto nodded. "Right, I get that part." He waved Noctis' explanation off and shook his head. "It sucks, and I hate Loqi more than I can even describe, but that's not what I mean, Noct. I mean... your dad knew what we've been doing? Like... the ruins diving and stuff? He figured it all out?"

Nodding, Noctis chuckled. "I shouldn't be surprised, though," he admitted. "My dad's smart. I mean, yeah. I kept it hidden from everyone else, but my dad's not everyone else. He probably checked my room and found the key to my trunk, or even just saw me putting my stuff away once or twice. He never said anything, though, because I _know_ he doesn't disapprove of us being friends." Because he wasn't a jerk, but that went without saying.

"Huh," Prompto murmured.

Noctis blew out a puff of air. "That's not even the craziest part, either," he added, smoothing a hand through his hair and casting his eyes up toward the ceiling. "My dad knows Cor. And he knew who you are, too. He mentioned you by name."

The very second the words escaped, Prompto gaped at Noctis, blinking at him like he had two heads. "He knows who I am?" Prompto asked, abandoning his mission of stirring the stew pot to point at himself. "I mean, I guess it makes sense, 'cause I _was_ found in Insomnia, so I guess he'd _have_ to know who I am, but... he mentioned me by name? How? It's not like I've met _him_..."

All Noctis could do in reply was shrug. "No clue," he admitted. "Just like I've got no idea how he knew Cor. He seemed sure that Cor would let me live with you guys, though..."

Prompto nodded. "I mean, yeah. Of course he will," he agreed. "Now that you're just like us, he probably won't have any problems with us being friends or anything, and we can clean out the storage room or even the attic and you can use it as your room. We have way more storage than we could ever really use." He laughed, but just as quickly as the laugh appeared, it faded to a look of confusion again.

"What's up?"

Slowly, Prompto went back to stirring the stew pot with one hand and then smoothed the other through his hair. "I don't know," he told Noctis. "I'm just thinkin' about something Cor said to me before we left to go camping a few years ago. It was kinda like a slip-up or something, but he mentioned your dad. Like he knew him or something. Tie that in with how your dad knew Cor and knew my name... I think they're both hiding something from us." His attention turned toward the stew pot fully now, and he stirred the mixture inside until the liquid created tiny little whirlpools and the vegetables inside looked like survivors of a shipwreck.

Noctis went quiet, too. Yeah. It made sense. There was a lot of mystery in Noctis' dad's past. Back before Noctis was born, back when Noctis' mom was still alive, Noctis had heard passing mentions of his dad being an adventurer; traveling to parts of the world Noctis had only read about. There were a lot of things that Noctis wanted to know; things he would ask and his dad would always answer with some kind of weird half-riddle, leaving Noctis with way more questions than answers. Noctis always assumed it was one of those dad things. One of those things that his dad would tell him 'maybe someday,' which always seemed to be his favorite answer when Noctis asked about his adventuring days.

Maybe someday hadn't come yet, but maybe now that Noctis was an outcast, they could talk about it when they met up.

"There's a lot I don't know about my dad," Noctis admitted with a half-laugh as he watched a chunk of potato rise up in one of the whirlpools only to sink back down again. "But he told me that he's still gonna try and see me. He might stop by here."

Prompto's eyes shot open. "Here? Your _dad_?" he asked incredulously. "Like, the actual leader of Insomnia, stopping by this house and talking to a bunch of outcasts...? That's against the rules!" Prompto had never sounded quite so surprised before, in all the time Noctis had known him.

"Right, but he doesn't like those rules, so yeah. Of course he'll come. I think it'll be okay. My dad's smarter than me, so he won't get caught." Noctis shrugged a shoulder, meeting Prompto's eyes.

The shock had given way to a little happy smirk, which made Prompto look about twenty times more attractive than he already was. "Wow. I get to meet your dad," he murmured under his breath, sounding awestruck like it was one of his great dreams.

It probably was. Prompto meeting Noctis' dad was one of those things they'd discussed a dozen times a year. Prompto had questions, and Noctis was sure his dad would answer them. There was always the possibility that he didn't _have_ the answers, because there was a lot even _Regis_ didn't know about the world and the way things worked and the Ancient Ones, but Noctis was sure he'd try.

With a little chuckle, Noctis mumbled, "wonder if Cor will talk to him."

Prompto huffed a laugh. "Prob'ly not," he mumbled. "If he didn't talk to you for twelve years-"

"I dunno," Noctis countered, ticking his shoulder up in a shrug. "My dad's pretty good at getting people to open up. Plus, if they knew each other back before you or me were born? Maybe the two of them having a history with each other will help like... smooth over the rough edges that make Cor not want to talk to me." He laughed. Maybe he was being too optimistic.

It seemed like Prompto was right there with him, though. "Yeah!" he nodded. "Imagine all the stories _both_ of them can tell us! Especially if they traveled together!"

Noctis laughed softly. Prompto was most excited about the stories; about the tales of adventure. "Wonder if they have any ideas for places we could start _our_ adventures, if they've seen the world together. Maybe they can confirm if some of the stuff I've read about in books is true. The mountains and rivers and lakes... maybe even that catoblepas," he grinned.

The way Prompto's eyes lit up at the mere mention of the catoblepas—which, the very second Noctis shared the story when they were kids, launched itself right to second place on Prompto's life goals list; right behind 'touch a chocobo'—was almost enough to knock Noctis from his chair and to the floor. He smiled wide, before turning his gaze back to the stew pot, and Noctis could almost see the gears in his head turning. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was thinking. Now that Noctis was an outcast, now that they could see each other all the time... what was stopping _them_ from traveling?

Well... there was nothing. They both looked up at the same time, and Prompto's smile melted into a conspiratory grin. Both of them were thinking the same thing. He could tell. Would Cor approve? What about Noctis' dad? They were supposed to meet up, but his dad would _have_ to understand if he ended up traveling the world, right? Especially now!

Noctis opened his mouth to make the suggestion, but before the words could even escape, the door squeaked open. Prompto and Noctis both turned toward the sound, and it was hard not to laugh at the stunned expression on Cor's face as he looked at the two of them in complete and total shock. It was completely reasonable. Noctis had shown up completely unexpected, and probably thrown Cor's plans for a peaceful night way out of whack. Still, even with the shock in his expression, he let his eyes ask the question his mouth normally would.

"Um... hi, Cor," Noctis greeted.

The shock faded into an obvious displeasure with the situation, and Cor turned his eyes from Noctis to Prompto. "Care to explain?" he asked.

Prompto moved to speak, but Noctis stopped him. "It's okay, Prom. I can do it," he insisted.

With a nod, Prompto sat back in his seat. He didn't go back to stirring the stew, though. Instead, he stared while Noctis explained... and Noctis explained _everything_ , in as much detail as he could possibly come up with. He explained how he'd been followed, and took all the blame for the whole incident. He told Cor about Loqi's ultimatum, about how he was probably not supposed to be alive, but about how his dad couldn't bear the thought. Lastly, he explained how his dad sent him here, and how his dad had hoped that Cor would take Noctis in, in the same way he had for Prompto.

"So... I understand if you don't want me here, because the whole situation's really messed up, but-"

Sighing deeply, exasperation radiating from him in waves, Cor pinched the bridge of his nose once he finished cutting the vegetables and dropped them into the stew pot. "Regis sent you here, then."

It was a monumental thing. Those five words were the first five words Cor had ever said to him. While they weren't exactly what Noctis expected them to be—a hello, or maybe a goodbye, or a be safe—they were words and they were way more than Noctis had ever gotten before. After sharing a glance with Prompto, Noctis looked back at Cor and nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Nodding, Cor took the spoon from Prompto and started stirring in his place. "And you're an outcast too, now?"

Noctis nodded, too. "Yes," he answered.

Blowing out a puff of air, Cor used his free hand to scratch a hand through his hair. "Alright, then," he said simply.

Well, that was in no way what Noctis expected. Never in a million years would he have expected a casual assimilation into Cor's everyday life. He expected a protest, or even for Cor not to want to talk to him at first because he didn't _believe_ Noctis had been cast out. Obviously, that hadn't happened. Cor accepted the words as fact, and just assumed Noctis was supposed to be there.

Another sigh from Cor broke the silence, and he said, "you can sleep in Prompto's room for the first night or two. At least until we get the spare room or the attic cleared out and ready."

"Wait," Prompto interjected. "Cor, we have some questions about-"

Cor laughed. "Oh, I'm sure you have a hundred questions. Probably more than a hundred, actually," he half-smiled at Prompto, then turned the same look to Noctis. "But let's start with the most obvious one. Noctis, you said your dad mentioned me. And I'm sure I've mentioned your dad to Prompto more than once. Which, if I know Prompto at all, has left you guys with dozens of questions about how we could possibly know each other."

Even in what he'd just said, Cor had already confirmed that he knew Noctis' dad, but now they were going to find out more. Prompto was physically on the edge of his seat, and Noctis bounced on the balls of his feet, eager to know a little bit more about his dad's past and how he and Cor tied together. Cor looked from Prompto to Noctis, then laughed softly. "I could tell you two anything in the world right now, and you'd be hanging off every word, wouldn't you?" Cor asked, handing the stirring spoon to Prompto and holding his index finger up. "I have something to show you, and it'll explain a lot. Just let me go get it from my room, okay?"

As Cor stood, the excitement on Noctis and Prompto's faces multiplied even more. Noctis could only imagine how excited _Prompto_ was. He'd wondered about Cor's past and what he'd done to be cast out for a long time. Someone like Cor, who followed the rules as strictly as he did, had to have done something pretty serious for his law-abiding past to be overlooked. Now, finally, they were going to have all their questions answered!

However, Cor barely even made it two steps before everything fell into a mess.

Behind Noctis, a window shattered and an arrow impacted with the floor mere inches from his feet. On instinct, Noctis both reached for his sword and ducked for cover under the window. "What the hell?" he hissed, staring at the arrow with wide, panicked eyes.

Prompto reached for his bow immediately. "Someone's shooting us?!"

"Were you followed, Noctis?" Cor demanded as he scrambled to find cover.

Noctis' mind flashed back to when he was standing at the Insomnia overlook, to when he thought he saw a firelight in the distance. Could that small light have been a torch? It was brief and Noctis wasn't sure, but... "I don't know! I... I don't _think_ so, but..." he stammered.

Quickly, Prompto interjected, "even if he was, it's not his-"

Cor scoffed. "Yes, I know that, Prompto! Just get to cover!" he commanded.

Cor held his own sword, and Prompto reached for his bow, but where Noctis had his head ducked, he could see the shock on their faces. Cor ducked behind a cabinet and Prompto dashed into a room to peer around from behind the door. A second arrow came flying through the broken window, and a third broke through the window on the opposite side of the front door. The last arrow impacted with the cook pot and sent all the stew inside spilling out onto the floor. The barrage didn't stop there, and Noctis took the hint, snapping into action and taking cover behind a bookcase. When he was in cover, he finally had time to try and assess the situation. Who on Eos was shooting at them? Where were they shooting from?

The arrows that didn't make it through the window impacted with the walls outside with loud thudding sounds. Noctis peered around the edge of the bookcase he hid behind, but in the darkness, he couldn't get a clear look at who was firing. Another arrow came through the door and sent him back into hiding and stopped him from looking altogether.

"There's five of them!" Prompto declared, and a glance over in his direction told Noctis he was using his focus to scan the area. "They're all coming from the front, so if we go out through the back we might be able to use the darkness to get a jump on them!"

After a few seconds of silence, Cor ordered, "Prompto, wait for a lull in firing and cross the room. We'll leave through my bedroom window. C'mon, Noctis!" Then, he ducked into a nearby doorway and beckoned for Noctis to follow.

Prompto called, "you guys go that way! I'll leave through my room and we'll meet in the backyard! We can use the practice targets for cover back there!" As soon as he finished speaking and without waiting for an answer from either Cor or Noctis, Prompto disappeared into his room and he went quiet.

As Noctis rushed into Cor's room behind him, he heard Cor cursing under his breath, calling Prompto reckless and careless as he crossed his room to get to his window. "Has he always been this reckless, Noctis?" Cor asked, sounding as impressed as he was annoyed. "Or is this a recent development?"

"Always," Noctis insisted, his voice a little sharper than usual as the sound of arrows thumping against the walls outside decorated their conversation.

With a snorted laugh, Cor declared, "not my influence, that's for sure." He motioned for Noctis to go out the window first.

Noctis shook his head. "Go! I've gotta follow you anyway, since you guys know the yard better than me, and-"

Again, Cor just laughed. "Your influence," he decided, before finally climbing out the window and holding it open for Noctis.

Once Noctis climbed through the window, he looked around the immediate background and was surprised to see Prompto climbing the cabin's small walls to get to the roof. That wasn't the plan, was it? He'd told them to use the practice targets for cover. He just blinked, then whispered, "I thought we were going to hide out with the targets..."

As soon as Cor's mind caught up to the situation, he clenched his fists at his sides in frustration as he watched Prompto finish his climb to the roof, then lay low to the ground. "We were. Like I said... he's reckless. If he sees a way to solve a problem, he'll do it without even thinking through the consequences," he said in an exasperated groan. "Luckily, he's smart, too. C'mon, let's go to the targets."

Admittedly, Noctis was hesitant to leave Prompto behind. Unfortunately, Cor didn't give him a chance to hesitate, grabbing his arm and yanking him toward the targets in the backyard.

While Noctis' mind struggled to catch up, he asked, "has this happened before? You guys seemed prepared, and-"

Cor sighed abruptly. "No," he answered as they ducked down in the tall grass to wait for Prompto. "But we always have to be prepared. You never know when the wrong people are going to find the camp. C'mon, kid. We'll wait for him in the tall grass while he scouts."

Immediately, Noctis thought of Loqi, and what he'd done to Prompto when they first met. The wrong people. Loqi was _definitely_ the wrong people. Was it possible that the orange light _had_ been a torch, and that Loqi _had_ followed him all the way from Insomnia? "Cor, I... I, um... might've been... someone might've followed me. I didn't see anyone when I looked around, and I looked around a lot, but-"

"It's okay. Hey, it's alright, Noctis, okay?" Cor reassured him. "Even if you were followed, it's not your fault. It's those Nifilians who think they're better than us just because of some ancient law that shouldn't even exist."

Noctis just stared at Cor for a second. Was he really saying that the old laws shouldn't exist, when he had followed them _pretty_ strictly and hadn't spoken to Noctis at all over the past twelve years?

With a soft laugh, Cor said, "I know. I bet that sounds weird coming from me... but just because I obeyed the law doesn't mean I like it, Noctis." He clapped Noctis on the shoulder and sighed. "You just... never know when you're being watched. A lesson you've learned all too well by now, I bet."

Had he ever.

A few more seconds passed, and Prompto still hadn't shown up. With his focus, it shouldn't have taken him _this_ long to scout. All he needed to do was activate it from the rooftop, and he could see everything for a few meters. Noctis looked at Cor, who looked just as concerned as he did. It was quiet. The shooting had stopped, too, which was another cause for concern. Cor peered up over the top of the tall grass for a moment, then looked at Noctis.

"Your dad taught you to use that sword, right?"

Noctis nodded.

Cor beckoned for Noctis to follow him. "Cover to cover, stay out of open air if you can. We have to go check on Prompto."


	4. Chapter 4

Originally, Prompto's plan was to get to the roof and scout, but he was quickly realizing his plan needed to change. Now, all five attackers had the house completely surrounded. There was one on each corner, and one climbing up the front of the house to the roof. He seemed to be struggling a bit, which gave Prompto a chance to raise his bow and aim at where the fifth attacker would show up. He could've run for it, but if he tried, he'd have run the risk of one of the four guarding the corners catching him.

A final scan with his focus showed Noctis and Cor coming closer from behind. That evened things up a little, even if Prompto still wished they'd stay hiding. In fact, Prompto wished he'd hidden with them.

It was too late now. Prompto turned his attention to his focus and pulled his bowstring taut, just in time for the attacker to finally make it up to the roof. It was too dark for Prompto to really see him. The shadows cast from the torches in the house were enough to give him a vague outline and a lot of Nifilian armor, but beyond that, he couldn't see anything. The face was too shadowed, and almost completely covered by the helm. It didn't matter. Prompto didn't need to see a face to know they were dangerous. He kept his bowstring at the ready, aiming directly at the attacker's head.

The only problem was... Prompto had never actually shot a person before. Animals, yes, but only for food. Machines, yes, but only when they attacked first. Never a human. Maybe someone braver would have just shot without asking questions. After all, these people had shot at his house countless times. Enough to break both windows and chase everyone out of it. Still, he hesitated.

"Get out of here. All of you. Or I'll shoot."

The Nifilian attacker made no move to get down. They didn't even say anything. They simply stood before Prompto, arms crossed at their chest like they were challenging him; like they could see right through him, and somehow they knew he'd never actually shot a person before. Almost like they could physically see his hesitation.

Prompto still couldn't bring himself to do it. "I'm serious!" he talked himself up, desperately trying to convince both the attacker and himself that he could do it. "I won't miss!"

Below him, the sounds of combat on the left side of the house started echoing through the space around them. Quickly, another pair of swords joined in, most likely the attackers guarding the opposite side of the house joining the others against Noctis and Cor. Prompto gritted his teeth, worried by his inability to see what was going on. It sounded like Noctis and Cor were putting up a fight, and Prompto knew how good both of them were with their respective weapons. He'd wondered in the past, exactly how Cor held that massive sword and still had any sort of mobility, but he always did. He could cut things down before Prompto even noticed they were there.

At the moment, it was him and Noctis against four, though. How could they do that? Sure, Noctis was limber and flexible and good with his sword too... but Prompto had only ever really seen him fight animals or robots before. Never a person, and definitely never two people at once.

With a laugh, the attacker on the roof said, "go ahead. Turn your back to see how they're doing. I'm sure it'll go fine." Now that he'd spoken, Prompto identified the attacker as male. He didn't sound too much older than Prompto was. Hadn't Noctis said he wasn't sure if he'd been followed? If there was any chance that this was the same person who'd been tormenting Prompto's best friend for his whole life...

"No thanks," Prompto responded, not showing any signs of the worry he felt down to his very core. "They'll be fine. I'm sure they've both fought way tougher than your men before."

Again, Prompto's attacker laughed. "And I was told that all you outcasts stuck together. I was curious when you separated from the others, but it looks like you tried to be a scout. Didn't quite work out the way you hoped, did it? And now they have to come back and save your behind. Anything happens to them down there? It's on you. You know that, right?" Even without being able to see his face, Prompto could tell the Nifilian man was watching him, waiting for the first sign of weakness to strike.

Prompto couldn't help but flinch. Maybe this guy was wrong, but... maybe he was right, too. If Prompto had just gone with Noctis and Cor, things wouldn't be so bad. Maybe they could've just made a run for it and come back when the attackers gave up. Aside from Prompto's collection of ancient artifacts, there was nothing in the house that was irreplaceable. Even the artifacts were replaceable. Maybe not the same artifacts, but they could've found new ones. If Prompto had thought for a second, instead of just gone for it...

Cor always told him he was too reckless. Maybe this was just proof.

Or maybe he was just playing into this guy's hands. Maybe he was letting himself be manipulated by someone telling him what he already worried was true. That was probably a downside of not having much experience talking to people aside from Noctis and Cor. He couldn't even tell when someone was messing with him or trying to manipulate him. He shook it off, standing his ground in spite of the combat sounds going on down below. It had quieted down a lot. He could still hear the clanging sounds of metal on metal, and a few desperate and gasping grunts and breaths... but they were a lot less frequent than before. Because of his own situation, he couldn't even listen closely enough to find distinct voices in the bunch.

"Stop trying to scare me!" Prompto demanded, readjusting his aim.

The Nifilian attacker simply chuckled and lifted his hands to show Prompto that he was unarmed. "I just thought you'd like to know why we're here."

Of course, he was right. Prompto wanted to know what the big deal was. Prompto and Cor had been living out here peacefully for years, and Noctis' dad had properly punished him for the "crime" he'd committed, so what real reason was there for any of this? No. Prompto didn't know why they'd come here, but he didn't want to know. He didn't need to know. He just wanted them gone.

It didn't matter whether Prompto wanted to know or not, though. The Nifilian kept talking. "Because, while we may have followed your stupid friend here, it's not about him. Granted, killing him would make my life a whole hell of a lot easier, and we'll probably make sure he's dead before we leave here? That's not really why we're here. We're here for you. Someone out there seems to think you're special for some reason. He sent us here to get you, and-" He stopped quickly, laughed, and said, "ah. I've said too much. I was told not to tell you too much, you see."

Prompto motioned with his bow for the man to continue. If someone wanted him for one reason or another? He wanted to know why.

Before the man got the chance to answer, footsteps from behind snapped Prompto's attention away. He lost both aim and hold on his bowstring, and loosed an arrow into an unknown location. The Nifilian's pained cry caught his attention then, but Prompto didn't look. At some point, when Prompto was paying half attention, Cor had climbed up onto the roof. A dozen questions swirled around in Prompto's mind. Where was Noctis? The combat had stopped, and Prompto had to believe that Cor wouldn't leave Noctis alone with people who seemed to want to kill them all.

"Noctis..." Prompto asked without asking, hopeful that Cor would understand.

Cor nodded down toward the ground. "The last guy turned tail and ran, so while Noctis checks the bodies and tries to figure out who sent them, and if they followed him, I came up here after you."

Up to that point, the pair of them had completely ignored the Nifilian's whimpers. Prompto turned to look, and finally noticed the arrow sticking out of the Nifilian's thigh. That wasn't all he noticed, though. The Nifilian was standing on one leg, but he had a bow of his own out and trained right on Prompto.

"I'm supposed to bring you back alive. That order didn't account for an arrow to my gods-damned leg though. I suppose command had just better hope I miss, hm?" The Nifilian shouted with all the petulance of a kid who didn't get his way, and even that tone sounded far too familiar to Prompto.

Cor huffed a half-laugh. "You realize, even if you shoot him, there's no way you're getting out of here in one piece. Not only am I here—and I'll slice you to pieces before you can even load up another arrow—but if you do somehow manage to escape me on that bum leg of yours, there's another one of us down there who's pretty good with a sword. Your only chance here is to run away. Then you can tell all your Nifilian buddies exactly where to find us, come back, and rush us while we can't defend ourselves." There was a conspiratory tone in Cor's voice, one Prompto never recalled having heard before. No one had to tell Prompto the plan. If the Nifilians came back, none of them would be there.

The Nifilian laughed again. "You think I'm stupid? You'll just leave."

With a shake of his head, Cor said, "so what if we do? It's better than dying like all your buddies. You want to survive, don't you?"

Prompto had no idea how Cor was managing to keep his cool, but as they talked, Prompto nocked another arrow, pulled the string back, and aimed at the man again to further illustrate Cor's point. If he fired on one of them, there was no way, with three of them here, this Nifilian was going to get out of here in one piece. Slowly, it seemed like the Nifilian came to realize the gravity of the situation. His stance was still wobbly, but his grip on his bow loosened a little bit. He still didn't lower his aim, but his posture slumped slightly as he seethed angrily at both Cor and Prompto.

"If you lower your bow, he'll lower his," Cor told the Nifilian, "and then you can hobble out of here and assemble your crew. Of course, you're probably right. We'll probably leave. It's still up to you. Do you want to die here, guaranteed, or do you want a chance to survive and find us again somewhere down the road?"

The Nifilian huffed an angry sound, glared at Prompto, then lowered his bow and put it back in place, hooking it to the back of his armor. Prompto blinked, stunned, but after a couple seconds, he did as Cor said he should do and lowered his bow. He put the arrow back in the quiver and waited to see what the Nifilian would do next.

Whatever Prompto expected the Nifilian to do, turning his back and then slowly lowering himself from the roof wasn't it. Prompto stared after him as he hobbled off into the woods, then finally allowed himself a sigh of relief. He dropped his bow to the roof and it clambered down to the ground in a loud echo of clacking. With the imminent danger gone, the gravity of the situation swung in and hit Prompto like a massive boulder. Sure, it could have been over a lot faster if he'd fired, but now he knew that somewhere out there, someone was after him. Someone wanted him alive for some reason or another, and they were willing to ambush him and kill his friends for it.

"Cor, he said..." Prompto's voice trembled. As hard as he tried, he couldn't stop his lower lip from quivering just slightly.

Cor placed a hand on his shoulder, then pulled him in for a hug. "I know. I heard it. We have to move, though. Let's go down there and tell Noctis everything's okay, and then we can pack up and get out of here."

Shock didn't even begin to cover it. Prompto had lived with Cor his whole life, and he was sure when Prompto was a baby, Cor had held him and taken care of him. Never in his memory, though, did Prompto think Cor had ever actually hugged him. At first, Prompto was too stunned to react. Finally, he lifted his arms and hugged Cor loosely around the middle. While they hugged, the gravity of everything hit him like a wave. Not only had he almost taken a life, but he'd almost been killed... and he was the reason their home had been attacked.

"It's okay," Cor reassured him, patting him on the back. "We're alright. We'll get to go on that adventure you guys always wanted to go on. Hope having me with you doesn't cramp your style."

Prompto shook his head, still desperately—and futilely—trying to keep tears from rolling down his cheeks. "Only if you promise to tell me all those stories I've asked you about since forever ago," he murmured in a whisper, clinging to Cor like a kid would their father.

Laughing, Cor promised, "every last one, kid. Got some stories both of you will love, actually."

Noctis. Right. Cor said Noctis was okay, but Prompto hadn't seen that with his own eyes yet. He didn't think Cor would lie to him or anything, but still... seeing Noctis himself would probably do a lot more to ease the fear and tension this whole situation had caused. Prompto eased out of the hug, wiping beneath his eyes and sniffling. "Did you guys have too much trouble down there?" he asked as the pair of them walked slowly down the sloped roof.

Cor shook his head. "Not at all, actually. Noctis is actually pretty damn good with that sword. Pretty sure Regis trained him, 'cause Regis was always pretty good with one, too."

Blinking, Prompto asked, "you knew Noct's dad well enough to know how good he is with a sword?" Maybe it wasn't the time to ask that, but he couldn't help more than his fair share of curiosity.

"Mmm," Cor answered. "He and his buddy Clarus trained me, actually. We used to adventure together."

On the tip of Prompto's tongue, there was a question as to why and how Cor was cast out. Especially if he was as close as he was with Noctis' dad, and they even used to travel together. He didn't ask, though. There would be plenty of time for that later, especially if Cor was going to be traveling with them now. As much as Cor's presence changed their plans, Prompto had to think it would be better now. Cor was a good hunter, and if he'd adventured in the past, he probably knew a lot more about ruins and different places all over Eos. The more Prompto thought about it, the more excited he got.

As they rounded the corner to the side yard, where Noctis and Cor had done most of their fighting, Prompto couldn't help but blink at what he saw. It wasn't the first time he'd seen blood in their yard. Sometimes, when they caught a bear or a deer too close to the house, they'd take it down and skin it at home. This much blood, though, was a first. Noctis was spattered with blood on both his clothes and his face. Prompto hadn't noticed before, but Cor was decently covered, too. He had cuts on his arms and legs, but nothing too severe. Noctis, too, had a few gashes in his skin, but neither of them looked too much worse for wear.

"Prom..." Noctis whispered when he finally noticed Prompto's presence.

Without another word spoken between them, they both rushed up to each other and hugged tightly. Prompto didn't even know he could hug someone that tightly. Noctis didn't complain. Neither did Prompto, even though he could barely breathe with the intensity of the embrace. Noctis' arms felt good wrapped around him, and Prompto sank into the embrace a little bit more. "M'fine, Noct," he muttered against Noctis' shoulder.

Noctis hummed. "Me too," he answered.

It was quiet for a few more seconds, the pair of them simply standing there and hugging each other. Prompto couldn't bear to bring up what the Nifilian attacker had told him. Maybe later. Maybe when his heart calmed down from the way it hammered like a drum in his chest. He felt a lot calmer already, just being in Noctis' presence, with Cor watching over them both. It was a quiet, peaceful moment... and a moment they could have all the time now that Noctis lived out here with them. Maybe without all the chaos beforehand, but this was nice. Over Noctis' shoulder, Prompto could see Cor giving them a warm, approving smile. That was new and unexpected, but Prompto couldn't find it in himself to complain.

Just when Prompto was getting a little more accustomed to the peace, when his heart was calming down from its attempt to drum its way out of his chest, things went from bad to a whole hell of a lot worse.

In the relative silence, Prompto could identify the exact moment and the exact direction the shot came from. It came from somewhere in the northeast, in the direction Prompto had seen the Nifilian run away. The string twanged, and Prompto could hear the arrow whipping through the air. Part of Prompto expected to be hit. Part of Prompto expected this to be the moment he died. If he died in Noctis' arms—as long as the arrow didn't pierce him enough to hit Noctis too—maybe that was okay. Except... he wasn't dead, and neither was Noctis. Both of them jumped back from the embrace and looked around, trying to figure out where the arrow hit.

Prompto was the first to see it.

Noctis darted off toward the woods, probably after the shooter, but Prompto rushed in the other direction as soon as he saw Cor hit the ground. He slumped to his knees, then hit the ground on his side. Even from a distance, Prompto could clearly see the arrow sticking out of his back. "C-Cor?" he called as he hit his knees on the ground next to Cor.

"Cor, hold on, okay? We'll... we'll get you to Insomnia and-"

Cor coughed, sending blood splattering from his mouth and down to the ground in front of him. It sounded like he was trying to talk, trying to tell Prompto something, but it must have been a bad injury, because no matter what he tried, he couldn't get the words out. With one hand, Cor reached into the pocket of his coat. That same hand reached up to grasp Prompto's, but only for long enough to leave something in its wake. Prompto didn't cast it a second glance for now. It wasn't important. Through about a dozen coughs, Prompto begged Cor to hang on; not to die. They could bring him to Insomnia. Noctis' dad could help. He had to help.

From the corner of his bleary eyes, Prompto saw Noctis limping back up the path. "See, Cor? See! Noctis is here now, and he'll... he'll help me get you to Insomnia and you can... you'll be fine!"

Cor didn't respond; didn't even move. Prompto couldn't even see the telltale signs of Cor's chest rising and falling with his breathing. No. No, it was impossible. Cor had scared the Nifilians off. He'd succeeded, and they were all going to adventure together, so there was no way Cor could possibly be dead! He just couldn't!

"Noct! N-Noct, we have to... Cor's... the arrow hit him! We've gotta take him back to Insomnia, so... so your dad can... or someone can..." Prompto could barely find a way to finish his sentence, most likely because, deep down in the back of his mind, he was fully aware of what was happening.

It was too late. The shot was too accurate. Cor was gone.

Noctis didn't say anything, just knelt down in the dirt beside Prompto and wrapped his arms back around Prompto's shoulders. The bleariness in Prompto's eyes turned in to full-blown tears as he let Cor's hand drop to the ground. Prompto clenched his fist, holding the item Cor had given him in his hand. He turned into Noctis, who was tearfully murmuring soft promises which barely registered on Prompto's radar, and crumpled into uncontrollable sobs. While Prompto cried, he lifted his hand into the space between them. He opened his fist and looked, with tear-filled, blurry eyes, at what Cor had given him.

Prompto blinked, sending a new cascade of tears rolling down his cheeks, as he looked upon a small brass key with the bow curled into the shape of a skull.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY DON'T HATE ME.


	5. Chapter 5

Prompto felt like he was in a haze for the next few hours. He had vague memories of Noctis checking Cor over; checking his wrist for a pulse and trying to revive him with CPR. To be honest, Prompto wasn't sure how long he tried for. It was awhile, though. When he finally stopped, he simply crouched there and did nothing for a few seconds. Then, he stood. He said something to Prompto—it could have been anything; the words didn't really register to Prompto at all, beyond it being Noctis who spoke them—walked away for a second and came back with a shovel.

It was quiet, while Prompto watched Noctis dig. In the back of his mind, he was fully aware of what was happening. Cor was dead. Noctis needed to bury him. It made perfect sense, and Prompto didn't feel the need to fight him on it. The same corner of Prompto's mind told him he should probably help. Noctis shouldn't have to do this alone. However long Prompto's night had been, Noctis' had been worse. He'd gone from being cast out of his home to being attacked...

No matter how Prompto's mind tried to rationalize it, he couldn't bring himself out of the haze he was in. Even as Noctis struggled through lifting Cor's body and putting him into the grave he'd dug. Noctis looked sad. Prompto probably looked sad, too, but it struck him at that moment, exactly how sad Noctis looked. He looked like he was trying to hold it together; like he was trying to keep himself from falling apart for some reason. Prompto blearily wondered what that reason was. A tiny bit of awareness seeped in, and he slid the key from his hand into his pocket, then got up and walked over to the grave to look down into it.

Cor's body lie there unmoving, and Prompto tried even harder to process the situation. It wasn't working, but the least he could do was make sure Noctis didn't have to do all the work alone.

Noctis came over with a shovel filled with dirt, but Prompto stopped him. Before Noctis could put the dirt down, Prompto jumped down into the grave. Not out of any desire to die along with Cor, though he couldn't deny a tiny, nagging feeling that maybe he should have died _instead_ of Cor. No, instead, he had something he needed to get.

Solemnly, he gathered Cor's sword from his back. The sword was Cor's prized possession, and while some people probably would have thought it to mean that it should be _buried_ with Cor, Prompto didn't think so. Cor wouldn't have wanted it to go to waste. He placed it on the ground outside of the grave, before placing both of his hands in the grass around the edges of the hole and hoisting himself up. For a few seconds too long, Prompto sat on the edge of the grave with his feet dangling down inside, staring blankly at the only man he could have ever possibly seen as a father.

Cor was gone now, all because of a shot none of them saw coming.

As he stared, Prompto felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned his head upward, glancing at Noctis and blinking back tears he hadn't even realized he was shedding. Part of him wanted to apologize for the wreck he was, but the rest of him knew Noctis understood. Noctis hadn't ever really said as much, but Prompto knew. Even so, he pulled his legs out of the hole and sat on his knees in the grass for a couple more seconds. Then, he finally stood and walked over to the massive dirt pile Noctis had made when he dug the grave. Without a second shovel, Prompto leaned down and gathered an armful of dirt. He walked over to the hole and dropped it down in.

"Prom... I can-"

Prompto shook his head. "No," he spoke, a sound so strangled it surprised even him. "I... I want to help. You shouldn't have to do this alone. I should... I want to..."

Before Noctis could protest, Prompto gathered another armful of dirt and put it down in the hole. "You know... before... before he died? He was getting ready to tell me how he knew your dad." Prompto laughed a strangled note and turned back for another armful of dirt. His arms were a mess, and his shirt was a disastrous mix of blood and dirt, but he didn't really care.

"He was?" Noctis asked, finally realizing he wasn't going to get Prompto to stop. He walked over to the dirt pile and started shoveling dirt into the grave alongside Prompto's messy armfuls.

Nodding, Prompto blinked back more tears. "He said your dad and someone named Clarus taught him how to use a sword, and that it was obvious your dad taught you how to use a sword, too," he admitted, his voice still sounding a little bit monotone.

"Uncle Clarus taught him, too? I guess that makes sense," Noctis answered softly, going back for another shovelful of sand. "My dad never carried a sword that big, but Uncle Clarus does. He uses a massive broadsword, and my friend Gladio—he's Clarus' son—uses both a broadsword and shield. And he uses 'em without even looking like he's trying. Strongest dude I've ever met. Guess Cor sort of split the difference between short sword and broadsword..." As he spoke, Prompto noticed him looking over toward Insomnia.

With a laugh that he didn't mean at all, Prompto mused, "bet you regret coming here now..." His voice was quiet and sad, because even though he wasn't quite serious, it wouldn't surprise him if Noctis _did_ regret leaving Insomnia.

Much to his surprise, Noctis simply dropped the shovel and closed the distance between them. He caught Prompto before he could lean over to gather another armful of dirt, then turned him so they were face to face. "Not even a little bit," he answered, wrapping his arms around Prompto's shoulders and pulling him in for a tight hug. "Actually, I was, um... more worried you'd be mad at me. That you'd hate me for leading them here and-"

"No!" Prompto insisted, the volume of his voice surprising even him. "No... no, it's not... it's not your fault, Noct." Even as he stammered through his sentence, tears sprang to his eyes again. Of course Noctis would blame himself. It was just like the way Prompto blamed himself for Noctis being cast out. "I'm still glad you're here. N-no matter what. And... and I could never, ever hate you either. No matter what happens, okay? So, don't say dumb stuff like that." He turned his head toward Noctis' shoulder again, swallowed thickly, and clung a little tighter to his best friend.

Noctis hugged him tighter, and Prompto found that safe feeling creeping back up again. Despite everything they'd just gone through, despite Cor, Prompto couldn't help but feel a little bit safer with Noctis there.

In a soft voice, Noctis murmured, "I'm not going anywhere, Prom. You're stuck with me."

"Can't be stuck if you like it," Prompto mumbled against his shoulder, then slowly pushed out of the hug to give Noctis a weak smile. It wasn't real. Not even close. Still, Noctis was there, and he'd done his best to take care of everything to this point, so the least Prompto could do was be there for him.

Noctis wasn't smiling, but he also wasn't frowning. "Why don't you let me finish this, Prom? You just relax and-"

Prompto shook his head. "N-no. I don't think I'll be able to relax," he admitted with a bitter laugh. "But maybe grabbing dirt with my arms to put down there is... not the best idea."

"I wasn't gonna say anything," Noctis responded, his tone sounding like the ghost of a joke.

Prompto stood, trying in a futile effort to brush some dirt from his chest. All it did was smear it further into the leather. He huffed an outward breath, then looked at Noctis. "I'll go inside and look for something of Cor's to mark... to mark it with." Admittedly, he was hesitant to call it a grave. It was a hole in the ground, and Cor was dead and his body was in it, so deep down he knew it _was_ a grave, but... the wound was still too fresh.

With worried eyes, Noctis asked, "are you sure you want to-"

"Yeah," Prompto answered. "I've gotta. I have to do something, or else I'll just sit here and think about what just happened, and... and I don't wanna do that. Y'know?"

Noctis nodded. "Okay. If I finish before you come back, I'll come to find you."

Though Prompto still felt hazy, he pushed it aside as far as he could and walked into the house. The late night breeze blew through the broken windows, and two of the torches in the living area had blown out, leaving the room in a dark and sort of creepy half-glow. Prompto looked around, and sadness grew on his face. A lot of the various things decorating the living area had been destroyed. Some of the pelts Cor had left to dry and turn into clothing or blankets were riddled with arrows now, ruined and unusable. A lot of the dishes they'd made were shattered, and some of their furniture had arrows sticking out of it.

Some of their personal effects were missing. Prompto wondered how many of his Ancient Ones artifacts were gone, but at the moment he didn't even care about that. They were all replaceable, and the most important thing was to find something to mark Cor's resting place with.

Slowly and sadly, Prompto walked into Cor's room. He was never really discouraged from entering the room, Cor always said he had nothing to hide, and anything he _had_ to hide would be "difficult" for Prompto to get into anyway. He thought of the key in his pocket, and wondered what it could possibly lead to. Curbing that thought for the moment, he looked around Cor's room and sighed. All those questions, all those things he'd always wanted to know about Cor, and now he'd never get answers for any of it. He didn't even know who to tell about Cor's passing. There had to be people out there, other than Noctis and Prompto, who would miss him.

Noctis' dad sprang to Prompto's mind, and Prompto made a mental note to remind Noctis to tell him when they met up. Prompto smoothed his hands along the shelves Cor hand-carved and placed in his room when Prompto was a kid. He'd actually made all the furniture in his own room, and a lot of Prompto's own furniture.

Nothing in here jumped out at him as a good marker, though.

"I lived with you my whole life, and I knew almost nothing about you..." Prompto thought aloud as he looked at a collection of little trinkets Cor had collected over the course of his life.

Prompto remembered asking about a lot of these when he was a kid, and all Cor ever really told him was 'I'll tell you someday.' Someday. Someday had come and gone now, it seemed. Prompto huffed a sad breath out through his nose and was about to turn and explore a different part of the room, when something at the end of the shelf caught his eye. It was a little dusty, and it was weighed down by the whetstone Cor used to sharpen his blade, but it was impossible to miss the small scrap of parchment covered in harsh colored quill marks and disastrous handwriting.

A memory flashed up as Prompto picked the parchment up. Prompto was six, and he was sitting on the floor of Cor's bedroom while Cor sharpened his sword. Cor was telling him something or other about hunting. It was either the best way to skin a boar, or the best thing to do when a bear spots you. Prompto was paying half-attention, truthfully. Instead, he was drawing on a piece of parchment with all the new inks Cor made him.

The result was a crude drawing of Cor, fighting a giant bear, and Prompto standing up in a tree with his bow, cheering him on. On the top, Prompto scrawled in horrible six-year-old writing, "Cor is the best!" and signed it "Prompto Argentum, age 6" on the bottom. The memory of Cor's story and the fact that Cor kept it for all these years warred in Prompto's mind. He felt his eyes welling up with tears again, as he backed up toward Cor's bed and sat down. All those years, and Cor still kept this dumb drawing. Hell, Prompto had drawn this even before he'd met _Noctis_ , and Cor had kept it.

He brushed some dust from the image, and as he blinked and a new trail of tears rolled down his cheeks, he decided this was the perfect thing to mark Cor's resting place. He just needed something to cover it, so it didn't get ruined in the rain.

Blinking hard caused more tears to stream down Prompto's cheeks, but he didn't really care at the moment. He lifted his head and cast his eyes around the rest of the room to look for a piece of cloth. Then, from the corner of his eye, he spotted yet _another_ thing that pulled his mind straight from his task. In the corner of the room, he spotted a square of wooden floor with hinges on the far side and a lock keeping it closed. Prompto's brow furrowed. How long had that been there? Cor had never really kept Prompto out of here, and Prompto never recalled seeing a secret door before...

His eyes shot open. The key! His hand flew to his pocket and fished around inside, leaving the drawing temporarily abandoned on Cor's bed.

As soon as Prompto grabbed the key, he stood and rushed up to the small door. Maybe he was completely off base; maybe the key went to something else completely, but something in his gut told him he was absolutely right. He crouched down and slid the key into the lock, twisting it and listening to the soft clicking sound as it echoed through the room.

Now that he'd unlocked the door, he hesitated. Sure, Cor had given him the key, and yeah, Prompto wanted to know more about Cor, but what if he opened it and what was inside gave him more questions than answers? Or what if the secrets Cor held were too much for Prompto to take? What if they were bad, and that was why Cor decided Prompto was never old enough or mature enough to hear them? Prompto shook the hesitance away quickly, pulled in a deep breath, and slid his fingers underneath the door's small latch and lifting just slightly.

"Did you find anything?"

The sound of Noctis' voice practically made Prompto jump out of his skin. He snapped his fingers back, causing the door to snap into place and the sound to echo through the room around them. Prompto turned his head, nodded and beckoned for Noctis to come closer. "I found what the key goes to," Prompto answered.

Noctis approached and crouched down next to him. "A secret door? Cool..."

Nodding eagerly, Prompto reached back down and slid his fingers back under the door. For a second, he wished there was a handle, but it was okay. It was open, and that was what mattered in the end. As he pulled the door open, he craned his neck to get a glance underneath just a _little_ bit quicker. As the door clacked down to the ground on the other side, Prompto immediately turned his attention to the items inside. A large, folded piece of parchment sat inside, as well as a small metal case and what looked like pieces of a bow. Prompto reached for the piece of parchment first.

"What's that?" Noctis asked, leaning a little closer and looking over Prompto's shoulder.

Without hesitation, Prompto unfolded the parchment and looked it over. At first, it looked like a drawing. Prompto never knew Cor could draw, but then there were a lot of things Prompto never knew about Cor. He scanned the drawing closely, then stopped suddenly when he realized something. "Wait. Wait! This is Cavaugh, and this is Insomnia..." he said, pointing to various spots on the parchment.

"And that looks like the ocean. And that's..." Noctis stopped short, then gasped. "Prom! I think this is a map! Because look, there's the rest of Lucis and there's Altissia and Tenebrae and Niflheim. This is a map! Of Eos!"

A map of Eos. Cor had an actual, real, map of Eos. Prompto guessed it made some kind of sense, especially if he was an adventurer with Noctis' dad and his friends. All this time, Cor had a map of Eos locked away under his floorboards. Sure, he was probably hiding it, at least until Prompto finally decided it was time to take off and go on his own world adventures, but it was still surprising. He leaned in and looked a little closer. Some places had little notes scribbled next to them. The words had faded over time—it had been more than twenty years since Cor had adventured, after all—but Prompto could still make out some of the important words.

"That says waterfall," Prompto murmured. "And that one says mountain. And machines. And it looks like he marked off a bunch of different ruins, too!"

Noctis was quiet as he read the map over Prompto's shoulder. He looked at least somewhat pleased with the situation, and Prompto had to admit, just the concept of traveling and not having to walk blindly into the world was making him feel just a tiny bit better. He was still sad, and he was sure he'd be sad for awhile, but Cor—even in death—knew exactly what to do to make the pain a little bit better. Prompto handed the map to Noctis, then reached into the hole for the bow parts. One by one he pulled them out and marveled at them as, before setting each one down on the floor beside him.

They looked like they were made from Ancient Ones scrap. Prompto recognized some of the wires and metal as things he'd found in ruins over the years. He paused and chuckled bitterly when he realized that _all_ of these things would fit his bow. Almost like Cor had customized them just for him, and saved them for when Prompto left as a last gift.

A lump sprang back up to Prompto's throat, but he swallowed it back down and reached back into the hole for the last item there: the metal case. It was latched and locked, and Prompto furrowed his brow, until he realized that the lock looked exactly like the lock on the door. He lifted the door, closing it again and tugging the key from the door. He slid it into the lock on the metal box and twisted it, pleased with himself when the box clicked open. Much to his surprise, when the lid sprung open, dozens of pieces of parchment spilled out from the box, almost like it had been packed too full.

Prompto picked one up as he mumbled an apology to Noctis, and unfolded it with one hand as he set the metal box down. He blinked, then pulled in a sharp breath as he read over the paper in his hand. It was a chronicle of some of Cor's adventures. No, not just _Cor's_ adventures, but... "Noct. Cor wrote these... about stuff he did with your dad and their friends!" Prompto announced in shock. "Ruins they went to and things they fought... and all kinds of amazing stuff they saw and..."

"Whoa," Noctis mumbled, setting the map aside and gathering another one of the fallen pieces of parchment.

With an eager nod, Prompto picked up another piece of parchment, which told of an adventure in a _town_ of all places. A massive tavern brawl in a city named Lestallum, titled 'When Regis Met Aulea.' "Hey, Noct... didn't you say your mom's name was Aulea?" he asked.

Almost like he was taken off guard, Noctis' attention snapped to Prompto and he nodded. "Y-yeah, why?"

Prompto handed the parchment to Noctis, then went quiet as he looked over all the items on the floor. Beside him, Noctis murmured in surprise as he read over the story of how his parents met, but Prompto was quiet, thoughtful. It occurred to him just then: this was what Cor was going to get just before the house was attacked. Even as he was dying, Cor wanted to make sure he had it. Cor wanted to make sure Prompto didn't give up on his dreams to travel the world. The lump sprang back up to his throat again, but this time, he didn't bother to swallow it back.

As much as he would miss Cor and as sad as he was that it ended like this, he swore to both Cor and to himself: he'd see the world with Noctis. He'd find the answers he was looking for, and Cor had just given him everything he needed to do it. Through his tears, Prompto allowed himself the tiniest smile at his own resolve.

**Author's Note:**

> I was a little delayed in posting this part, because I was a little bit concerned with how it'd be received.
> 
> I KNOW IT'S THE SECOND TIME I'VE KILLED COR LIKE THIS, but it was necessary for the plot, I swear. You'll see why in the next part! D:


End file.
